Sushi Masaki Saito

Six Seats at the Hinoki Counter

4.5 of 5

Six seats. Two seatings a night. One chef. Masaki Saito, born in Hokkaido and trained in Tokyo, ran the counter at Sushi Ginza Onodera in New York, which earned two Michelin stars, then came to Yorkville in 2019 to do it again. He did. When the Michelin Guide arrived in Toronto in 2022, his was the only restaurant in the city with two stars.

The room is a Victorian house on Avenue Road fitted with a 200-year-old hinoki counter brought over from Nara. About ninety-five percent of the ingredients come from Japan, the fish from Toyosu Market and the rice from Niigata. The style is Edomae, with fish aged to deepen its flavour, which is the opposite of the everything-must-be-fresh-this-second school, and it works. Expect chutoro, in some seasons dressed with white truffle, and grilled shirako if you are lucky and brave. There is nothing to choose. You sit, you eat, you pay attention.

Now the honest part. In 2025 Michelin dropped it to one star, which says something about how high the bar was set to begin with. It is also among the most expensive meals in the country, priced in the hundreds of dollars a head before you touch the sake. This is less a dinner than a pilgrimage with chopsticks. If you care deeply about sushi, save up and go once. If you do not, a good neighbourhood omakase will make you just as happy with a lot of money left over.

Order this: The omakase, which is the only option, Chutoro, with white truffle in season, Grilled shirako if it is offered
The damage: $$$$
Go: Once, on a weeknight, when you have saved up
Find it: 88 Avenue Rd, Toronto, ON M5R 2H2